2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Grebb
A surname originating from a geographic location or place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Grebb. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Grebb surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Grebb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Grebb, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (11.8%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Grebb
The surname GREBB is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, Germany, during the medieval period around the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "grebb," which means "to dig" or "to burrow." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked as miners or excavators.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name GREBB can be found in the Leipziger Neustädter Bürgerbuch, a historical register of citizens from Leipzig, dating back to the year 1489. This document mentions a certain Hans Grebb, who was listed as a resident of the city at that time.
In the 16th century, the name GREBB appeared in various records from the Electorate of Saxony, particularly in the regions of Meissen and Zwickau. One notable figure was Johann Grebb, a prominent Protestant reformer and theologian, who lived from 1520 to 1592.
During the 17th century, the GREBB surname was found in several villages and towns across Saxony, such as Groitzsch, Torgau, and Borna. Some of these locations had place names that incorporated the word "grebb," suggesting a potential connection between the surname and the local geography.
One of the most renowned individuals with the GREBB surname was Friedrich Wilhelm Grebb, a German philosopher and writer who lived from 1787 to 1849. His works explored themes of aesthetics and the role of art in society.
In the 19th century, the GREBB name gained some recognition in the field of science. Heinrich Grebb, born in 1823 and died in 1898, was a respected botanist and naturalist, known for his extensive research on plant species native to Saxony.
Another notable figure was Ernst Grebb, a pioneering engineer who lived from 1865 to 1935. He made significant contributions to the development of early electric locomotives and played a crucial role in the electrification of railway systems in Germany.
While the surname GREBB has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, its origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the region of Saxony, where it was likely associated with occupations related to mining and excavation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Grebb
Among Census respondents with the surname Grebb, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (11.8%) and Hispanic (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Grebb bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Grebb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.0% · 94
- American Indian and Alaska Native11.8% · 14
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 8
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Grebb
Grebb appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-16 bearers (-12.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,686 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,432 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-12.3%) | Down 22,686 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Up 2,432 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Grebb surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #142,788 | 1.7% |
| Count | 114 | 119 | 4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Grebb bearers went from 114 to 119 (+4.4% change). The surname moved up 2,432 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #142,788.
FAQ
Grebb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Grebb?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Grebb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Grebb?
Grebb ranks #142,788 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 119 people with the surname Grebb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Grebb.
Has Grebb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Grebb went from 114 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 5 (+4.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Grebb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Grebb, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (11.8%) and Hispanic (6.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Grebb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.0% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Grebb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (11.8%), Hispanic (6.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Grebb (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Grebb mean?
A surname originating from a geographic location or place name. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Grebb (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Grebb?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.